quote: Originally posted by FoamDome Extract from our style guide. Comments? Belgian Strong Ale Like regular Belgian ales, the Belgian strong ales also can range in color from pale to dark varieties. Regardless of the color, however, the Belgian strong ales are significantly stronger in alcohol content (7% and higher) and more complex than their weaker counterparts, although the good examples are not harsh. Flavors for the pale colored varieties include earthy, yeasty, fruity, peppery, sweet, and spicey attributes, while the dark colored varieties include caramel, bready, dark fruits (figs, prunes, raisins, plums), sweet, and spicey character. Belgian strong ales are also normally fermented with an addition of candi sugar. The resulting mouthfeel is typically moderate, often deceivingly lighter than their malt and alcohol content would suggest, due to the added candi sugar and high carbonation levels. The pale and golden varieties of Belgian strong ales normally differ from abbey tripels (which could be considered a subcategory of golden Belgian strong ales) in their lower bittering levels than the tripels, while the dark strong ales differ from dubbels in their malt and alcohol levels, but often overlap with the Abbey Quadruples on both malt and alcohol levels (Abbey Quadruples could be considered a subcategory of dark Belgian strong ales). Strong Ale The strong ale category includes ales of essentially any style with higher alcohol levels (generally at least 7%) than what is common for that style. The amount of alcohol can be quite high in a strong ale (over 20% in some cases). The category is essentially a catch-all category and incorporates multiple base styles into the group, except for those styles that explicitly have their own strong (often "imperial" or "double") category. The target of strong ales should not be overpowering and harsh flavors, but instead an enhanced overall quality from the additional alcohol.

I fired off an email to the Boston Beer Company this morning, and they came back that the Infinium is a 'Belgian Strong Ale' A response listing the above as aguideline elicited the following response "While many Belgian strong ales do use candy sugar as part of the brewing process, not all do (and in fact very few if any North American brewed BSAs use candy sugar), nor is it the defining step in determining the style. Traditionally a Belgian Strong Ale is an ale that is greater than 7.5% ABV, using a European Ale strain, using a traditional Belgian style as we have done with Infinium"

treborius, great initiative and thanks for sharing the results of your correspondence with BBC. Based on this, I would change my recommendation. However, I have to wonder: If BBC was not constrained to Strong Ale or Belgian Strong Ale as we are, i.e., if they could call it anything they wanted, why would they choose to describe Infinium as a BSA instead of a Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut?

...or maybe "Effing Strong Ale"... what ABV % would that require?

quote: Originally posted by trapezemonk How about we come up with a new category...Really Strong Ale quote: quote: Originally posted by fargingbastige6 Based on comments from BPs, Boston Brewing, BP standards and definitions of types; I'd go with "strong ale".

quote: Originally posted by fargingbastige6 ...or maybe "Effing Strong Ale"... what ABV % would that require? quote: quote: Originally posted by trapezemonk How about we come up with a new category...Really Strong Ale quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by fargingbastige6 Based on comments from BPs, Boston Brewing, BP standards and definitions of types; I'd go with "strong ale".

I would think that Brew Dog has the market cornered there...isn't that dead squirrel beer (umm,... End of History?) 55%?

sounds like whiskey, is it good? Have you tried it?

quote: Originally posted by jlozier quote: quote: Originally posted by fargingbastige6 ...or maybe "Effing Strong Ale"... what ABV % would that require? quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by trapezemonk How about we come up with a new category...Really Strong Ale quote: quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by fargingbastige6 Based on comments from BPs, Boston Brewing, BP standards and definitions of types; I'd go with "strong ale". I would think that Brew Dog has the market cornered there...isn't that dead squirrel beer (umm,... End of History?) 55%?

quote: Originally posted by trapezemonk sounds like whiskey, is it good? Have you tried it? quote: quote: Originally posted by jlozier quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by fargingbastige6 ...or maybe "Effing Strong Ale"... what ABV % would that require? quote: quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by trapezemonk How about we come up with a new category...Really Strong Ale quote: quote: quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by fargingbastige6 Based on comments from BPs, Boston Brewing, BP standards and definitions of types; I'd go with "strong ale". I would think that Brew Dog has the market cornered there...isn't that dead squirrel beer (umm,... End of History?) 55%?

only 12 bottles were ever made.. and for like $750 a piece!! [img]http://www.boingboing.net/images/end-of-history-beer.jpg[/img]

I like this squirrel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0so5er4X3dc

Bought 3 bottles at $15 apiece about 3 hours ago, and 2 of them exploded on the transit ride home! The remaining 1 better be damn good!

quote: Originally posted by cyrenaica Bought 3 bottles at $15 apiece about 3 hours ago, and 2 of them exploded on the transit ride home! The remaining 1 better be damn good!

were you driving off road?? that seems a bit odd..

quote: Originally posted by cyrenaica Bought 3 bottles at $15 apiece about 3 hours ago, and 2 of them exploded on the transit ride home! The remaining 1 better be damn good!

I already told you......no big loss!